Minimum wage: Labour hints on another nationwide strike

The Organized Labour has planned to declare a nationwide strike over President Bola Tinubu’s delay in approving the new minimum wage bill.

The union expressed concern over Tinubu’s delay in announcing the figure to be submitted to the National Assembly since he received the final report.

The Head of Information of the NLC, Comrade Benson Upah said not every problem will be solved with a strike while adding that strike is always the last option.

Comrade Upah advised Nigerians to be patient in drawing conclusions, contending that the report was sent to the President within the period of Democracy Day and Sallah when some relevant stakeholders had to travel out.

The NLC spokesman said, “As at the time the Tripartite Committee submitted the report to the President, there was Democracy Day and then the Sallah break, all of which were practically lumped together for the political stakeholders to travel.

“So, on the length of time taken for the transmission of the executive bill, we have no issue with that; what we are concerned about is what will be transmitted to the National Assembly.”

Asked what will be the reaction of the organized labour if the government decides to go with the N62,000 as offered by the government and the organized private sector against the labour’s demand of N250,000, Upah said:

“Well, let the government come up with it first, and then I even want you to note that there is division in the ranks of the government team, with the governors saying they can’t even pay the N62,000. So, whatever the government transmits to the National Assembly, that will determine our mood. So, let us wait to reach the bridge before we climb it.”

The Labour chieftain said the position taken by President Bola Tinubu on the two proposals before him from the report of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage would determine their next line of action.

During the last meeting of the Tripartite Committee on New National Minimum Wage, the government and organized private sector proposed N62,000, while organized labor, insisted on N250,000 as the new living wage.